


Complications

by greyjona



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reincarnation, Sportacus is Number Nine Reincarnated, there is no underage in this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-12 15:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9079045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greyjona/pseuds/greyjona
Summary: You can see the world in color when you touch your soulmate. Robbie meets Nine when he's four and the world is colorful for a short time before Nine dies. What he doesn't know is that Nine reincarnates into Sportacus and Robbie gets a chance to have a soulmate again, if only he hadn't given up on soulmates.





	1. Number Nine

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time in a long time attempting to post an unfinished fic and update it so bear with me. I will try to update every few days at least. You can message me on [tumblr](http://ithrottaalfurin.tumblr.com/) if you want to know where I'm at with the next chapter or ask me questions about the fic!
> 
> This is unbeta'ed so I might edit it later. I will make a note if I change anything significant in previous chapters!

When Robbie learned about how meeting your soulmate let you see colors, he was excited. He wanted so badly to see the difference between the polka-dotted reds and the swirly blues. Sure, each color had a unique pattern so that you could tell what it was even before you met your soulmate, but he wanted to actually _see_ the colors. He just knew they would be _beautiful_.

He didn’t want to meet his soulmate just for the colors, though. He often daydreamed of what his soulmate would look like. He tried to imagine the world bursting into color and being able to look into his soulmate’s eyes and know they would be perfect for him. He drew stick figure drawings of his soulmate during art time. He always picked blue as their eye color, even if he couldn’t really see the difference. It was the one thing he felt sure of about his soulmate.

Robbie’s mom told him she always knew her soulmate would be a mechanic. She never knew anything else, but she knew that much. Everyone had something they knew about their soulmate. Robbie just wished he had gotten something useful instead of a color he couldn’t even see.

Robbie was almost five and he was drawing a picture in the sand when LazyTown’s hero first arrived. All he’d gotten was a glimpse of a man sprinting towards something Robbie couldn’t see, flipping over any obstacles in his way. Robbie had gaped, wide-eyed, when he realized the man had just barely saved one of the other kids from getting run over by a car. He had sprinted over as quickly he could, drawing forgotten.

“Are you okay?” the man asked, brows furrowed with concern. The boy – Robbie didn’t know his name, none of the other kids had ever introduced themselves to him – nodded, body trembling with fear.

Panting, Robbie stopped next to the duo and blurted, “How did you do that?”

The hero turned to him with a small frown. “Do what?” Robbie pouted. He hated when adults played dumb.

“How did you know he was in trouble?”

Understanding shone on the man’s face and he smiled. Robbie’s lips twitched in response.

“I have a crystal that tells me when people need help,” he said, and Robbie’s eyes lit up.

“Does that mean you’re a superhero?” The man nodded and Robbie hummed thoughtfully, eyes catching on the number nine on the man’s uniform. He pointed to it, hand waving slightly in his excitement. “What does that number mean?”

The man chuckled softly, crouching down to meet Robbie’s eyes. Robbie beamed at the attention, the other boy long ago forgotten. “This number means that I am the 9th hero in my line of heroes.” Robbie’s brow furrowed in concentration.

“Does that mean there are other heroes too?” Robbie hesitated, but the man was smiling indulgently at him. “Can I see your crystal?”

“Oh my god, Robbie. Just shut up already,” the other boy interrupted before the hero could respond and Robbie flinched, shoulders hunching up around his ears. He shifted his gaze to the ground and missed the small flash of anger on the hero’s face, tears welling up in his eyes.

The hero turned to the other boy, standing up to his full height. “What you just said was not very nice,” he stated calmly, power ringing in his voice. Robbie felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, a tingling anxiety crawling up his spine. He glanced up, but he didn’t see anything strange.

Scoffing, the boy rolled his eyes. “Robbie is always asking too many questions, he never shuts up. No one likes him. Why should I be nice to him?” Robbie squeezed his eyes shut, whimpering.

A hand brushed against the exposed skin of his wrist and Robbie flinched. There was a small hushing noise and he was lifted into the hero’s arms. Robbie curled up as best he could, hiding his face in the soft leather of the man’s shirt. The hero said something more to the other boy but Robbie didn’t want to listen anymore so he ignored it. He simply let himself be carried somewhere else, fingers idly playing with the fabric of the hero’s sleeve.

Robbie was set down on a hard surface but he still refused to open his eyes until the hero softly asked if he was okay, but when he opened his eyes the world was different. He gasped softly at the change, unable to explain it properly. Everything looked so similar to what he normally saw, but not quite. He shifted his gaze to meet the hero’s eyes and all he could think was: _not blue_.

“Are you my soulmate?” Robbie asked breathily, awed at the idea of having a real superhero for a soulmate. The elf’s face twisted in confusion for a moment before clearing with his dawning realization.

“Oh,” the hero responded, blinking slowly. “I didn’t know children could have adults as soulmates. Or elves,” he murmured, eyes going distant. “I guess I have to stay in this town for a while, then,” he announced, smiling widely. “Robbie, how would you like to be friends?”

Robbie grinned back, eyes sparkling. “Best friends? Mom says that soulmates are best friends.”

The hero laughed. “Of course. Best friends.”

~

By the end of the day, the whole town knew that Nine was his soulmate. Robbie couldn’t stop beaming. Even a month later, on his fifth birthday, Robbie excitedly leapt at Nine upon his arrival, present in hand. The wrapping paper was just as yellow as Nine’s outfit and Robbie could barely contain himself, tearing into the paper as soon as he was given permission. He reached his hand into the box and pulled out a purple hammer, eyes widening.

Nine smiled and explained, “For all those inventions you wanted to make. You’ll need more than just a hammer, of course, but…” Robbie was ecstatic.

Things like that could never last, however. Everything was good for another two months, just long enough for Robbie to get well and truly attached, before Nine shook him awake one night and told him he had to go help the children of BullyTown. He said he’d be back as soon as possible. Robbie nodded tiredly and mumbled an okay, unable to fully open his eyes. The last thing he saw that night was a yellow blur leaving through his window before he fell back asleep.

When he woke up, the world was in black and white again. Nine was dead.


	2. The Hero's Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sportacus arrives in LazyTown and Robbie is determined to get him out of town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these days I will write a longer chapter and proof-read it before posting. Today is not that day.
> 
> Also, the dialogue is slightly different from that of the original episode and that is on purpose.

Robbie _knew_ as soon as that girl showed up that a new hero would be coming to LazyTown. He could feel it in his chest, a soft ache that had slowly developed and never seemed to go away. He rubbed at it absentmindedly as he walked, thoughts on the sight of children playing in LazyTown for the first time in years. It felt nostalgic, something he could almost be content with if it didn’t leave him feeling like he had been gutted.

He should have been happy at his astounding success, getting the children to stop playing with little to no effort at all. His role was of the town villain. It was perfect for someone as bitter and mean as he was, after all. A small smirk came to his face. Even if it was half-hearted, it was something.

A blur by the mailbox caught his eye and Robbie froze, dropping down behind the nearby wall. It was the girl. He felt like he couldn’t breathe for a moment, peeking around the edge of the wall to make sure he was seeing things correctly. Yes. She was cleaning up the grass and weeds that had grown around the launcher. A small shudder wracked his frame and he grit his teeth, hissing softly.

“Don’t do it,” he muttered to himself, “it will only bring trouble, little girl.”

She couldn’t hear him, of course, and he couldn’t help but watch as she launched her letter into the sky. His heart was pounding. He had tried very hard not to think about who might have taken over after _he_ was gone. He knew someone must have. The world had to move on, even if Robbie couldn’t. He scowled, pulling his fingers from his mouth where he had unconsciously begun to bite at his nails. It had been too many years for him to be this upset, still. He needed to move on, too.

“Maybe they never replaced him,” he mused after a moment, eyeing the empty sky. “Maybe they stopped training heroes.” A small part of him was disappointed and he squashed it down violently, stomping his foot.

A paper airplane soared right towards the girl and Robbie groaned. The new hero would be arriving at any moment. It must have been his imagination, but he could almost _feel_ the approach of the airship. It was a familiar feeling he couldn’t quite place, a sort of buzzing in his nerve endings. It wasn’t an uncomfortable sensation. In fact, he was almost _excited_. It was… strange. Robbie wiggled his fingers experimentally. The feeling just kept growing stronger and Robbie looked up just as a…. blimp came into view, flying over their heads. Robbie raised his eyebrows. A blimp.

“I guess that’s better than a hot air balloon,” Robbie thinks aloud as the hero drops down from his blimp, flipping and cartwheeling his way over to the girl without hesitation. “Was that even- why doesn’t he just _run_?” Robbie asked, throwing his arms in the air incredulously.

The hero landed in front of the girl with a smile and she beamed up at him in response. “Are you number nine?”

“No,” the hero replied, spinning around to point to the number printed on the back of his uniform. “I’m number ten! You can call me Sportacus.”

“I’m Stephanie, pleased to meet you,” the girl – Stephanie, apparently – replied politely.

“His name is _Sportacus_? I should be more surprised by this,” Robbie sighed, shaking his head. “Of course Nine dies and is replaced with an elf named Sportacus.” He rolled his eyes, heart lurching at the mention of his soulmate.

“Are you a superhero?” Stephanie asked, and Robbie couldn’t help but remember asking the same question once.

“Well, let’s just say I’m a slightly above average hero,” Sportacus replied, seeming uncomfortable with the half-truth. Interesting. The elf was downplaying his abilities. Robbie wondered if that had anything to do with what happened to Nine and kicked himself for continuing to bring up the previous hero.

There was a high beeping noise and the hero’s crystal began to flash. Robbie jumped, startled, as the hero quickly ran off with an instinctual, “Someone’s in trouble!”

It was those children, Stingy and Trixie, arguing over the seesaw. And then it was Trixie and Ziggy, trying to use each other to see over a wall. Sportacus swooped in and saved Stingy and then Trixie almost without pause, stopping to make sure they were okay each time.

The eyeroll came without even thinking and Robbie felt determined to get the elf out of his town before he managed to leave an impression. He spun around quickly, striding off to do what he did best: ruin things.

A shovel sat next to a nearby wall and Robbie scooped it up, fingers tapping thoughtfully on the handle.  “I guess I should start with something simple. Hopefully it’s enough for that… Sportakook to get the hint.” He grinned, delighted at finally having a goal. He might even keep the elf around, just for something to do. It was the most excited he’d been in years.

Digging wasn’t an activity he particularly enjoyed but it was practically his entire plot. He didn’t have time to come up with anything more complex, as Bessie came around the corner just as he was finishing up his trap. He quickly ducked behind the nearest object. She was walking straight for the trap and Robbie panicked, flailing his arms and trying to warn her as best he could without catching anyone else’s attention. Still, she fell into the trap and Robbie couldn’t help but groan in frustration, wincing sympathetically at her landing.

Now his plan was ruined and he would have to come up with something else. Wonderful.

Predictably, Sportacus showed up to save both Bessie and Mayor Meanswell just in time. Robbie wondered idly if the elf timed his acts of heroics for impact or if he just happened to show up at the last minute. There wasn’t enough evidence to be sure, but Robbie suspected the former.

“LazyTown is really starting to feel like home for me!” Stephanie announced forcing his attention back onto the scene in front of him. Sportacus met Robbie’s eyes for a moment before he smiled. Was he smiling at _Robbie_?

“Me too!” The elf agreed cheerfully, eyes crinkling slightly at the edges.

Robbie felt dread curl in his stomach, only made worse by the girl’s next question. “Will you stay?” The town chorused their agreement as Sportacus floundered, surprised by their quick attachment to him. The elf glanced around at their faces, eyes meeting Robbie’s again just for a moment, before he smiled and said, “Yes, I think I will!”

“Stay?”

Robbie wasn’t sure if he was more upset about what might happen to the town or about being in such close proximity to the successor of his soulmate.

 _Not blue_ , his mind reminded him, a faint memory of Nine’s burning golden eyes resurfacing.

But then, how had he seen colors? You could only have one soulmate, or so he thought. Robbie narrowed his eyes at Sportacus consideringly, tilting his head. The elf noticed his stare and smiled in his direction and Robbie felt his heart flutter.

No, he wouldn’t let it happen again. Losing the colors again would not be worth it.

Sportacus had to be driven out of LazyTown, one way or another.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, unbeta'ed. This chapter is slightly longer than normal and features a few of the kids!
> 
> I have a vague idea of how I want this to play out but the specifics take time to figure out, so I apologize for any delays in updating!

Robbie sighed dramatically, fingers drumming out an inconsistent rhythm against his workbench. He had tried plot after plot, scheme after scheme, but nothing was working. Sportacus managed to conquer every single one of them. There had been too many close calls, too many instances where he’d panicked when Sportacus had nearly touched his bare skin and almost given himself away. He didn’t want to know. He couldn’t know.

And the children. The children were becoming increasingly less lazy each day. They went to bed at 8:08 to be like that Sportaloser and woke up at the crack of dawn to play _all day_ and keep Robbie from napping. There were days where he regretted setting up his pipe system. Those days were more and more frequent all the time.

Up above the ground somewhere, the kids were playing. He could hear their screams of delight and he scowled. “What are those brats up to now?” he muttered darkly, stomping over to get a look through his periscope. He grasped the metal handles and leaned forward, peeking through the eyepiece.

Robbie twisted from his initial view of a tree – that kitten had gotten stuck again earlier – and spotted the children playing what appeared to be dodgeball while wearing futuristic metallic costumes. He had long since given up on understanding their games. “Is that- oh, this is just perfect,” he said to himself delightedly, eyes falling upon what was probably the best part of the whole game.

On the edges of the field, tossing balls back into the fray where they escaped the boundaries of the game, was Sportacus. Not just Sportacus, though. It was Sportacus, wearing a metallic silver variant of his usual costume. Robbie laughed, but apparently his laugh was too loud.

“Robbie?” Stephanie asked, leaving the game to walk hesitantly towards his periscope.

Robbie shook his head vehemently, unwilling to get sucked into this game. “Robbie isn’t here right now, could I take a message?”

Stephanie giggled, eyes crinkling with fond amusement. “I know it’s you, Robbie. Come play with us!”

A small choking sound left Robbie’s throat and he squawked, “Play? With you? Why would I do that?”

Sportacus jogged over with a silly grin on his face and Stephanie scooted over so Robbie could see both of them clearly. “Robbie? Is that you?” Sportacus sounded pleasantly surprised. Robbie rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Sportadork,” he sighs exasperatedly. Stephanie pouts at him before turning to Sportacus.

“Robbie won’t play with us,” she tells him, frowning seriously. The girl was becoming very good at getting her way, but Robbie wouldn’t fall for it. He just wouldn’t.

Sportacus’s face fell and Robbie instantly felt like he’d kicked a puppy. He steeled himself against the feeling and declared, “No, I definitely won’t be wasting my energy playing some ridiculous game. _Especially_ not with that kangaroo around.”

Stephanie looked ready to argue but Sportacus stopped her, holding a hand up sadly. “Okay, Robbie. We won’t ask you anymore,” he said, shooing Stephanie back towards the game and giving Robbie a small smile. “Maybe next time.”

Robbie huffed. “Yeah right.” Next time. There wouldn’t be a next time, because Robbie was going to put a stop to this.

“It’s disguise time!” he announced, pointing a finger in the air triumphantly. He skipped his way over to his costume rack and stopped at the first disguise. No, he already knew what he needed. He giggled to himself as he wandered over to the last slot and appraised his costume. It was perfect.

~

It was not perfect. Not only had the kids recognized him immediately, but Sportacus had seemed delighted that he had “come to play with the kids! In costume, even!” The bright smile Sportacus had sent his way caused his stomach to swoop and his heart had begun to race. It was not a good sign.

The worst part was how touchy-feely Sportacus seemed to be. Any opportunity the elf got he seemed to be patting Robbie on the back or brushing their shoulders together. It was never bare skin, though. Robbie made sure of that because he couldn’t risk even the small chance that maybe Sportacus was his soulmate. Perhaps his _true_ soulmate. “I don’t need a soulmate,” he reminded himself for what felt like the millionth time, growling in frustration. “In fact, I already had a soulmate. If anyone deserved a second soulmate, it certainly would not be me!”

He had hardly deserved the first soulmate. He sighed through his nose and carefully unclenched his fingers from where they had been digging painfully into his palms. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the sports elf since he’d arrived in LazyTown and it was driving him nuts. Every time he tried to convince himself that he had already had his soulmate and lost him, an image of blue eyes came into his mind and reminded him of how definitely _not blue_ Nine’s eyes had been.

“I didn’t get an accurate premonition. So what? It probably happens to plenty of people!” he growled, glaring at nothing in particular. “It was a fluke and it meant nothing!” He sighed and murmured, “But why can’t I stop thinking about it?” flopping into his chair. It was emotionally exhausting. There was no way Sportacus would want him as a soulmate anyway. He ran his hands through his hair once before resting his palms over his eyes.

He didn’t want to focus on this anymore. He wanted to think about anything else but this, really. Robbie sighed again and stood, moving purposefully towards the entrance of his lair. Maybe a change of scenery would help. At the very least, the noisy children would be something to focus on instead.

The metal of the hatch was cold and he wasted no time in throwing it open, climbing the ladder into the afternoon air. Robbie carefully closed the hatch again and turned, walking through the billboard door and towards the town with a yawn. He might take a nap on the bench while it was still warm. Sportacus would be proud that he walked all the way into town simply because he wanted to.

This wasn’t helping. He was still thinking about Sportacus. He scowled at the ground and kicked at a pebble, frustration with himself and with the elf rising. The pebble bounced into the bushes and there was a loud, “Ow!”

Robbie stiffened, watching as the bush rustled and Trixie and Ziggy stumbled out, almost tripping over each other. Of course the kids were spying on him.

Apparently not at all embarrassed about that display, Ziggy looked up at him and started to babble, “We were talking to the mayor about soulmates and he said that you met your soulmate already, Robbie! And we were…. Well….” He trailed off, seeming unsure of how to phrase what he wanted to say. Robbie could guess what the brat was going to say, and he didn’t like where this was going at all. He had come out here to try and keep his mind off of this exact subject.

Trixie rolled her eyes and finished the statement herself: “We were curious, so we came to see if we could figure anything out.”

“Well, did you?” Robbie asked with a sneer, crossing his arms.

“No,” they admitted, turning their eyes towards the ground. A small wave of relief swept over Robbie but he didn’t show it, continuing to stare at the children, unimpressed. “You brats really need to learn to mind your own business.”

A flash of determination crossed Ziggy’s face and he looked up again, pouting. “Who was your soulmate, Robbie?”

“What did I just tell you about minding your-“

“And why are you always alone if you already met your soulmate?” Trixie interrupted, hands on her hips.

Robbie growled. “You children are the nosiest little brats I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. Why would I tell _you_ about my soulmate?”

“We… promise we won’t be noisy if you tell us?” they offered hesitantly, eyes shining with naïve curiosity. Robbie raised an eyebrow and Ziggy added, “for a whole week!”

“Fine,” Robbie sighed, running a hand over his face, “but I’m not answering any more questions after this.” He peeked through his fingers to make sure the children nodded their agreement before he crossed his arms again, hunching his shoulders forward. “Number Nine was my soulmate, and he died a long time ago. I absolutely refuse to tell you more than that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to be getting home.”

He spun and ran directly into Sportacus’s chest, just barely managing not to reach up in surprise and touch the elf’s arms. His face heated slightly but he refused to look at the look of shock that was almost certainly on the hero’s face, knowing that Robbie had been soulmates with his predecessor.

“Robbie,” Sportacus whispered softly, hesitantly. “Nine didn’t tell you?”

Brow furrowed, Robbie spared a glance at the look of concern – not shock – that graced the elf’s face. He frowned, shaking his head. “Tell me what?” Sportacus opened his mouth to respond but Robbie interrupted him, hand making an aborted movement to cover Sportacus’s mouth. “Not right now! Let’s go somewhere more private,” he hissed, glancing towards the children who were listening more quietly than Robbie had thought they were capable of.

Sportacus shut his mouth and nodded, eyes bright with understanding. “Okay, Robbie.”


	4. Explanations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe me, the angst is not over yet.
> 
> Also, Number 9 is a sweetheart in this fic at least. I couldn't have him being an asshole since he's literally Sportacus.

They walked in contemplative silence towards Robbie’s lair, Robbie’s shoulder occasionally brushing against Sportacus’s leg because of course the elf had to walk there on his hands instead of his feet like a regular human being. Robbie watched out of the corner of his eye, feeling much more fondness for the elf’s antics than he should.

His thoughts kept trailing back to the same question: what would Nine have told Sportacus that he wouldn’t tell Robbie? Sportacus appeared to be at least close to the same age as Robbie – he would bet on the hero being younger, actually – which brought him to: why would Nine tell someone so young something that Sportacus had seemed to think was important?

Before they had even made it to the billboard, Sportacus flipped to his feet and asked, “Robbie, did Nine ever tell you anything about the different lines of heroes?” He had ceased moving, so Robbie sighed and stopped as well, turning to face the hero reluctantly.

“Nine told me a lot of things, Sportakook,” Robbie drawled with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Does it matter?” He didn’t have time for pointlessly bringing up old memories.

“Yes,” Sportacus replied seriously, earnest determination in the set of his mouth. His moustache twitched, betraying his nerves, and Robbie felt a small swell of affection in his chest. He huffed.

“Fine, I’ll tell you what I know. I still don’t see why it matters, though.”

~

Robbie was sat on the bench just outside of the sports field, legs swinging happily as he licked at a strawberry popsicle – made of real strawberries! – Nine had given him. Nine was smiling at him, contrasting the look of melancholy on his face. The elf shifted from his seat on the bench to kneel in front of Robbie, eyes serious.

“Robbie,” the hero said and Robbie looked up with a soft hum of acknowledgement. Nine had his head bowed, eyes glazed with thought. After a moment, the hero looked up and met Robbie’s eyes, bright smile suddenly replacing the earlier gloom. “Have I ever told you about heroes?”

Robbie brightened, shaking his head frantically. “No! I wanna know about the heroes, Nine!”

Nine chuckled, leaping to his feet. “I guess I should tell you, then!” Robbie wiggled in his seat, excitement leaving him unable to sit still. “Okay, okay. I already told you there were other lines of heroes, right?” Robbie nodded, eyes wide. “Well, every group of heroes has a different way that they pass on their title!” Nine crouched, cupping a hand over his mouth conspiratorially and making a show of glancing around to make sure no one was listening. “Some of them even do it randomly,” he whispered and Robbie giggled.

“In fact,” he said, pointing a finger in the air for emphasis, “recently, one line of heroes chose a boy named Íþróttaálfurinn to be their tenth hero! He proved himself to be the most active elf in his town and earned the right to train underneath their number nine!”

Robbie furrowed his eyebrows. “Does that mean you’re an elf too, Nine?” Nine nodded.

“All of the heroes in my line are elves,” he explained, lifting his hat to wiggle his ears playfully. Robbie laughed, delighted. His eyes sparkled with curiosity and Nine leaned forward indulgently to give Robbie a closer look, dark locks falling out of place without the hat there to restrain them.

While Robbie marveled at the ears, hesitantly reaching to touch the pointed tip, Nine continued, “My line is a little strange in that no one is chosen to replace the hero until after the previous hero dies.”

Robbie paused, finger hovering in the air. “You can’t die, I just met you! You’re my soulmate!”

“Of course not, Robbie. I would never leave you behind. Not forever, at least,” Nine murmured soothingly, eyes going distant again. “Hopefully not anytime soon, either. I still have stories to tell you!” he said, giving Robbie a grin that seemed almost pasted on. Robbie frowned.

“I love you, Nine,” he announced, wrapping the elf in a tight hug. Nine felt his face relax into a soft smile and he hugged the boy back, wincing slightly as the popsicle dripped onto the bare skin of his neck. Still. He couldn’t tell Robbie, not yet.

“I love you too, Robbie.”

~

Of course, Robbie only told the pertinent details of his memory. Sportacus didn’t need to know about the popsicle or the hug, just what he knew about the heroes. The rest was just for him.

Sportacus frowned. “He didn’t tell you how our line chooses the next hero,” he muttered, seeming distressed. “And you’re sure he never brought it up again?” Sportacus asked, the resignation in his face showing that he already knew the answer. Robbie clicked his tongue, lips pursed in mocking contemplation.

“No, I don’t believe he did.”

Scratching the back of his head, Sportacus sighed. “I’m not quite sure how to explain this, Robbie.” Robbie raised his eyebrows disbelievingly.

“And you expect _me_ to be able to help? I don’t even know what you thought was so important that it warranted wasting this much time already. Just spit it out, Sportaflop.” Robbie tapped his foot in a show of impatience, crossing his arms. He was getting tired of all of this nonsense. It was wearing on his nerves, the anxiety pooling low in his stomach making him want to both destroy something and stress-eat an entire cake. He couldn’t decide which was more appealing. Possibly both.

The elf took a deep breath, beginning to pace back and forth in a short line. “When an elf in our line dies, they don’t exactly… die,” Sportacus said finally. It wasn’t nearly enough of an explanation and Robbie was about to say so when the elf continued, “We just get reincarnated into a new hero.” What?

“ _What_?” Robbie gasped, heart pounding. That couldn’t mean- no. Definitely not.

Sportacus winced, standing to face Robbie again. “I mean that I am just… a new version of all of the previous heroes. Including Nine. So… if Nine was your soulmate, then…”

“You’re _also_ my soulmate,” Robbie finished, barely able to believe the words coming from his own mouth. Sportacus shuffled in place, obviously uncomfortable. “Did you know this whole time?”

A small breeze came through and Robbie shivered, fingers clenching around his arms anxiously. Sportacus shook his head slowly. “No, I didn’t know for sure. Elves… don’t have soulmates, exactly.”

What was that supposed to mean?

“Then what do elves have?” Robbie demanded, eyes stinging with what better not have been tears. He was better than that.

Hesitation crossed the elf’s face. “Elves can sense who would make a good bondmate, but we don’t have anyone predetermined usually.”

He was using the phrasing to avoid answering what Robbie really wanted to know. Robbie scowled, pointing a finger in the hero’s direction. “Then what do _you_ have? And if you’re worried about my reaction, just stop. I deserve the truth.” Enough messing around.

“I,” Sportacus sounded hesitant, resigned. “I had a vision of what you looked like just after Nine died. I recognized you as soon as I came to town,” he admitted, eyes downcast. Sincere honesty shone in his eyes when he added, “I didn’t know I was your soulmate, Robbie. Elves often have human bondmates who have different soulmates.”

Robbie exhaled through his nose, teeth clenched tightly together. “And what if I don’t want another soulmate?”

Hurt flickered across the elf’s face, quickly masked. His voice was blank when he responded, “That would be your choice. I can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to, Robbie.”

There was a small pause while Robbie considered Sportacus’s words.

“And what if I decide I do want to be your… bondmate? Whatever that is.”

This time it was hope that flickered on the elf’s face. “That would also be your choice,” Sportacus replied simply.

He thought for a moment, a quiet chuckle escaping him. “This all sounds rather ridiculous,” Robbie admitted, eyes sparkling. “I don’t even know what being a bondmate means.”

Sportacus bounced on his toes, a shy smile growing on his face. “I could explain it to you, if you’d like.”

“No,” Robbie drawled, “I’d like to just jump right in without knowing what I’m agreeing to, actually. That sounds like a grand time to me.” Sportacus laughed and Robbie felt a swell of pride that he managed to cause that. “Okay, elf. I’ll give you a chance, if I absolutely must.”


	5. The Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the wait! This chapter just did not want to be written. I'm sorry if it feels a little stilted, it was written with long breaks between each addition. Hopefully I will get the rest of the chapters out much quicker!

“So what are these ‘bondmate’ things?” Robbie asked, relaxing into the familiar wood of the bench. They had moved to a more comfortable location in preparation of a long conversation and Sportacus, well…

Sportacus couldn’t help the small nervous laugh that bubbled out of him. His excitement over Robbie’s seeming acceptance of Sportacus as his soulmate had faded when he remembered what bonding entailed. Now he realized that Robbie hadn’t entirely accepted the soulmate situation – had gone out of his way to continue to avoid physical contact with Sportacus, even – and would probably respond even more poorly to the idea of bondmates. Unfortunately, his hesitation was obvious to the keen-eyed villain.

The taller man narrowed his eyes, sitting forward slightly. “Cat got your tongue? Or is the topic perhaps more unpleasant than you implied?”

“No!” Sportacus shook his head, jogging in place to focus his thoughts. “It’s just… I have never explained it to a human before, so it is difficult to find the right words.”

A slow smile spread on Robbie’s face, triumphant and all too pleased. “Is the town hero actually _nervous_?” he taunted, leaning back into the bench again.

“Of course I am nervous! Bonding is a serious matter, especially when it is with a human,” Sportacus replied, bouncing on his toes.

“And why is it different with a human?” Robbie asked. He was pretending to examine his nails but he glanced up too often for it to be believable. Sportacus smiled fondly.

“It’s more serious with a human because humans are much more fragile than elves are,” he explained slowly. “You see, when elves bond, they connect themselves to their chosen partner for life. It is not a bond that is easily broken.” And witnessing a bond ending was heartbreaking. His thoughts turned to Nine momentarily and he frowned. “Actually, it is very unusual for a hero to take a bondmate at all,” he murmured, mostly to himself.

A soft hum was the response. “Because heroes normally have dangerous jobs,” Robbie guessed, calculating gaze quickly shifting over Sportacus’s face. “I have an idea already, but do tell: how does this bond work? What does it do exactly?”

This was what Sportacus was worried about explaining. This was the information that could potentially make Robbie skittish and uncomfortable. Maybe it would be best to explain the bond the way it was explained in schools.

“When an elf finds someone they think might be a suitable bondmate, there is usually a courting process.” Robbie snorted but held his hands up in surrender when Sportacus glared. There was a small pause before Sportacus continued. “As I was saying… the courting process normally takes years before a bond is solidified. Elves use those years to ensure that they are completely compatible. When an elf bonds it is, quite literally, a lifelong bond.” This was the part that usually scared even elven children. Sportacus took a deep breath. “When one member of the bond dies, the other usually follows soon after.”

“Yes, yes,” Robbie said exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. “You are making this much more dramatic than it needs to be, Sportakook. I figured death was involved somehow, just get on with the rest of the explanation.”

That… was not the response Sportacus was expecting. He laughed quietly, eyes crinkling with amusement. “Okay, okay,” he replied, nerves soothed by the familiarity of the insults. “Bonds are a link between the souls of an elf and their bondmate. Bonded pairs are able to sense each other’s strong emotions and can feel where their bondmate is located.”

Robbie’s muscles seemed to tense for a moment before relaxing. “And how do you form this bond?” he asked, a hint of a smile on his face. Sportacus nearly beamed.

“It’s easy! There’s normally a ceremony to celebrate, but the actual bonding just requires a little magic,” Sportacus explained, nodding once. This was going over much more… calmly than he had expected.

Robbie seemed conflicted for a moment before his brows smoothed out and he sighed. “That seems like far too much commitment for someone you barely know,” he announced, standing up and brushing off the back of his pants exaggeratedly. Sportacus’s heart sunk and he felt himself freeze, but he couldn’t help it. Robbie’s eyes flicked up to meet his before rolling exasperatedly. “That wasn’t a rejection, Sportaflop. What I was saying was…” he choked for a moment, face flushing with embarrassment.

Sportacus didn’t want to get his hopes up but he couldn’t help it. “You would like me to court you first?” he offered, unsure. Robbie’s face got even redder and Sportacus grinned. “You would, wouldn’t you? This is great, Robbie!”

“I never agreed to anything!” Robbie protested halfheartedly, barely resisting when Sportacus pulled him into a tight hug. Their cheeks brushed and it sent a tingle of energy down Sportacus’s spine. He resisted the urge to shiver.

He wasn’t sure if this was how it felt to be near your potential bondmate or if this was different. After all, he’d known about Robbie from the start. Perhaps Robbie was different from a potential bondmate. Sportacus was at a loss.

When Sportacus stepped back, Robbie was blinking, eyes flickering between the trees and the sky as though there was something unusual about them. “I forgot how… bright… colors were,” Robbie murmured, gaze distant for a moment. Sportacus felt giddy for a moment when he realized that Robbie had allowed him to make skin to skin contact. Robbie had accepted him as a soulmate. His stomach fluttered and he felt a rush of energy similar to when he ate fruits or vegetables.

After a moment, Robbie met his eyes and a soft “oh” fell from his lips. Sportacus glanced down briefly, furrowing his brows when he looked back up to see a flash of momentarily undisguised awe on Robbie’s face. “Your eyes are blue,” Robbie stated simply.

“I- yes,” Sportacus replied, a questioning lilt to his voice. He wasn’t sure what was significant about the color of his eyes.

Robbie snapped out of his trance, face morphing into a carefully neutral expression. “Well, I think that’s enough _feelings_ for today, don’t you? You can start your attempt at courting tomorrow, if you must. It’s time for my afternoon nap. Goodbye, elf.”

The villain left so quickly that Sportacus barely had time to call out a “Goodbye, Robbie!” before he was out of sight. Sportacus was a little frustrated, but mostly confused. What had just happened?


	6. Puzzles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for this ridiculous wait but here it is, unbeta-ed as always.
> 
> Hopefully I will be updated more frequently again after this.

It was sometime in the middle of the night when Robbie woke up, gasping. The blackness of the darkened room made his heart pound and he scrambled out of his chair to turn on the lights. The dark blue of his walls sent a wave of relief through him and he sank to the floor, limbs shaking with the rush of adrenaline. Everything was still in color. Sportacus was still alive.

He shouldn’t care. A scowl made its way onto his face. He wanted the elf gone anyways, didn’t he? But he had agreed to let the elf court him. It had been an impulsive decision. He shouldn’t have done it. Heroes could never truly love villains.

_Glanni was sprawled as elegantly as one could sprawl in a tiny jail cell, one leg dangling off the side of the tiny cot and the other sticking over the edge, limbs too long to properly rest on the pathetic excuse for a mattress. He was primly examining his nail polish – horribly chipped from all of the excitement._

_Robbie was only ten to Glanni’s eighteen and he greatly admired his brother’s cunning and ambition. This was the first time Glanni had been successfully put in a jail cell but Glanni acted as though it was no different than any other day._

_“I met my soulmate,” Glanni announced, sounding bored. It was as if he was announcing the weather. He didn’t even look up from his nails._

_Robbie stepped forward, eyes wide. “Really? What was she like?”_

_“He,” Glanni corrected, rolling his eyes. “I knew it was going to be a man, I just didn’t know he’d be so…” Glanni muttered the rest of the sentence under his breath, glowering._

_Smiling, Robbie couldn’t help but laugh softly. “What did he do to upset you so much? I’m sure you can figure it out, he’s your soulmate after all.” Robbie’s chest twinged slightly at the reminder that he’d never have a soulmate again. He’d never…_

_“Soulmates will_ always _accept you! Soulmates are_ perfect _for you!” Glanni snarled mockingly, mouth twisting into a sneer. He gracefully slid to his feet, stalking angrily in a back and forth line. “It’s bullshit, Robbie! The whole thing is bullshit! People don’t like people like us, they despise us. They look down on us like we’re scum. Like_ we’re _the bad guys.”_

 _He twirled to face Robbie, eyes blazing. “Do you want to know what my_ soulmate _did, Robbie? HE PUT ME IN JAIL!” Glanni clenched his hands into fists sporadically, chest heaving._

_Robbie curled in on himself, hands tucked under his arms. He was shaking slightly. He couldn’t believe anyone’s soulmate could be so… heartless._

_Glanni closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry, Robbie. I didn’t mean to shout at you. Just.” He took another deep breath and dropped back onto the bed. His voice switched to a tired murmur, “I know you thought that your soulmate was perfect, but remember that he was a hero. We’re not exactly_ good _guys, Robbie. Think about it.”_

_Robbie felt like his heart had frozen in his chest._

Shaking himself out of the memory, Robbie paced the floor of his living room anxiously. He needed something to distract himself again. Thinking about the situation was doing him no good. His eyes slid over the costumes about three times before the idea popped into his head.

“That’s it!” he exclaimed to himself, opening the cabinet that stored all of his fabrics and other materials for his costumes. “I’ll just work on new costumes! That should distract me!”

Without really looking, he grabbed an armful of fabric and carried it to his worktable, dropping it down onto the empty space next to his sewing machine. He rummaged through a nearby drawer until he found his scissors, ruler, and other various necessities. He stared at the resulting mess on his table, frowning. This would never work.

“I have to try something else, then,” he muttered, running a hand over his hair.

Somehow, he found himself sprawled on a pink rug, puzzle pieces scattered over a pink table between him and the equally pink girl. Stephanie was frowning down at the puzzle, tongue sticking out from between her lips while she concentratedly put a puzzle piece in its proper place. Robbie scowled.

“I don’t know why you insist on doing the puzzles that are in color instead of the ones they make _specifically_ for people who haven’t met their soulmates yet,” Robbie grumbled, methodically building the edges of the puzzle. It was as though the pink girl didn’t know how to make things easier for herself in any way whatsoever.

Stephanie rolled her eyes, picking out another piece and comparing it to the picture on the box. Her eyes squinted slightly. “Those are too easy,” she replied, smirking smugly when she connected her piece to one of the random patches of center pieces she was working on. “Besides,” she smiled sweetly up at him, “I have you! You can help me with the pieces that are too hard for me.”

Robbie rolled his eyes back at her and sighed. “You’re just lucky I cleared my incredibly busy schedule to help you with this… tedious work.”

“Oh, you love puzzles,” she asserted confidently, already too focused on her next puzzle piece to catch the sneer he sent in her direction. The act was pointless if she wasn’t looking, so Robbie simply continued putting pieces in place.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Stephanie gasped softly. “Oh! I almost forgot! I’ll be right back!” she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and jogging out of the room abruptly. Robbie stared after her for a moment.

“What was that all about?” He wondered aloud. It was certainly suspicious. He eyed the room for anything that could have given the girl a cue and his eyes hesitated on the window. It was possible, but the kids had a bad habit of entirely ignoring their windows at the worst times. Then again, she had been facing the window this time.

It was probably only a minute before the girl returned, hiding something behind her back. She was smiling. Robbie narrowed his eyes, frowning suspiciously.

“Sportacus said he didn’t want to interrupt our game, but he wanted me to give these to you for him,” Stephanie explained, eyes sparkling. She held out her hands and Robbie looked down, muscles tensing nervously. There was a pendant of some kind in one of her hands, glowing a soft purple and hanging from a leather cord, and the other hand held a blue envelope. He hesitated.

Stephanie smiled gently, huffing. “Just take them, silly. You can read the letter later, if you want. I won’t peek.” Robbie nodded slowly and accepted the items gingerly, holding them uncomfortably in his lap for a few moments. Stephanie simply moved to sit across from him again, pointedly focusing her attention on the puzzle while he decided what to do.

Robbie made a few aborted movements before dropping the letter to his lap and using both hands to tie the cord, letting the pendant rest softly against his chest. A faint hum of energy radiated from the stone and he couldn’t help himself, snatching the letter up to read it. Stephanie was stifling a smile.

> _Robbie,_
> 
> _Stephanie told me that you were building a puzzle with her today. That’s wonderful! I’m glad you found a way to play with the kids._
> 
> _This amulet is a protection charm. It is magical and will make sure you are always safe as long as you are wearing it. It has limitations, of course, but I hope you will wear it._
> 
> _Sincerely yours,_
> 
> _Sportacus_

Robbie’s face must have done something interesting because Stephanie was no longer pretending to be paying attention to the puzzle. She looked at him gleefully, eyes flicking between the amulet, the letter, and his face. “What did it say?”

“None of your business, pink,” he replied airily, folding the letter and returning it to its envelope. “This puzzle isn’t going to finish itself,” he huffed, exaggeratedly grabbing another piece and putting it where it belonged.

Stephanie rolled her eyes again – she was really incredibly sassy, Robbie noted belatedly – but didn’t ask again.


End file.
